


Can't you just be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?

by denyingmyselfalways



Series: How Tony Stark accidentally became a dad [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Exasperated Peter, Gen, Peter being a literal kid, Peter's thoughts on getting saved from Iron Man, Tony going full 'because I said so', after Toomes dropped Peter from the sky, but a little, canonly accurate, exasperated Tony, mostly for plot of the series, not a lot of dad!Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 15:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14772572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denyingmyselfalways/pseuds/denyingmyselfalways
Summary: A written version of after Tony saved Peter from drowning in the lake





	Can't you just be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?

WOOSH

Peter was chilled to the core, struggling, still struggling with the parachute that had collapsed around him and was pulling him further under. He could barely breathe, fighting the thick fabric, thinking that maybe Mr. Stark had made it too durable and he might not make it this time, when he felt metal hands circle under his armpits and drag him from the inky water.

And suddenly he could breathe again. He looked up to see Iron Man’s unreadable mask.

“Woah! ...Oh... hey,” he managed before going limp in Tony’s arms and allowing himself to be carried away from the lake.

It wasn’t until Tony dropped him off at the top of some jungle gym in the middle of the park that his mouth started going, describing the car chase and the weapons and the giant bird dude.

“And then he just- he just like swooped down, like a monster and he picked me up and took me up like a thousand feet and he dropped me,” he said, wringing the water from his mask.

Peter gestured towards the hovering suit, “How’d you find me? Did you put a tracker in my suit or something?”

“Uh, I put everything in your suit,” Tony said, speaking for the first time since he showed up, “including this heater.”

“Wooaaa,” Peter said as the heater went off, eliciting steam to dissipate from it. He huffed out a breath, “That’s better, thanks.”

“What were you thinking?”

“The guy with the wings is obviously the source of the weapons,” he protested, gesturing out as if pointing in the direction of the evil lair, “I gotta take him down.”

He inwardly winced at how childish that sounded, but he didn’t particularly care at the moment. All he wanted was a chance to prove himself and here it came, hovering in front of him with giant killer wings. He had to show Mr. Stark what this meant to him. He had to _prove_ himself.

“Take him _down_ now, huh?” Tony’s voice had taken a slightly higher pitch, and Peter began to wonder how much trouble he was in. It wasn’t technically his fault this time and Tony was acting as if Peter had invited this bird man to try and kill him. “Steady, Crockett, there are people who _handle_ this sort of thing.”

“The Avengers?” Peter asked, trying not to appear too eager. He was just glad that Tony’s tone had relaxed and he was in less danger of getting lectured.

“No, no, no. This is a little below their pay grade.”

“Anyway, Mr. Stark, you didn’t have to come all the way out here. I had that. I was fine.”

“Oh, I’m not,” the faceplate of the suit opened, showing an empty shell. “here. Thank God this place has Wi-Fi or you would be toast right now. Thank Ganesh while you’re at it.”

Peter frowned, wondering where the heck Tony was, but he didn’t give the kid time to ask.

“Look, forget the flying vulture guy, _please_.”

“Why?” Peter wined, not mentioning the fact that Tony sounded like he was begging.

_“Why?_ Because I said so!” a hesitation before he heard Tony mutter, “Sorry, I’m talking to a teenager.”

“Stay close to the ground,” Tony said before Peter could ask who he was talking to on the other end, “Build up your game helping the little people, like that lady that bought you the churro.”

Peter sighed, instantly regretting telling Happy about that.

“Can’t you just be a friendly... neighborhood Spider-Man?”

Peter wondered why the heck Tony cared so much, but he knew better than to say anything about that. “But I’m ready for more than that now.”

The faceplate clanked closed with a sense of finality. “No, you’re not.”

“That is not what you thought when I took on Captain America.” He knew he was grasping at straws, but straws were all he had left.

“Trust me, kid. If Cap wanted to lay you out, he would’ve.”

Peter looked away.

“Listen to me. If you come across these weapons again, _call Happy._ ”

A car revved from the audio in Tony’s suit.

He looked up, frowning. “Are you driving?”

“You know, it’s never too early to start thinking about college. I got some pull at MIT. End call.”

“No, no I don’t need to go to co-”

“Mr. Stark is no longer connected,” a sterile female voice interrupted him. The suit turned in midair and shot off.

Peter sighed, “That’s awesome,” he muttered, trying to process everything that Mr. Stark had said. _College? What the heck had that been about? And why does he care so much if I get myself hurt? I’m a superhero! Of course I’m going to get a little banged up! I can take on one weapons dealer!_

“Stay close to the ground? What is he talking about?” he muttered to himself as he made his way back to Liz’s party. He felt like throwing something, but a temper tantrum wouldn’t exactly help his cause.

A low humming interrupted his thoughts. Peter turned and caught sight of a glowing purple light. He immediately recognized it as part of one of the weapons that those men had been firing at him.

_Oh man,_ he thought, forgetting everything that Mr. Stark had just told him. _My night just got so much more interesting._

 

“End call.”

Tony’s Audi glided down the road smoothly, but that did little to comfort him. Ever since he’d given that kid the suit, he’d wondered if it had been the right choice. Recruiting him for the airport showdown, or whatever the media was dubbing it these days, had been right. He knew that without him a lot of things may have gone wrong. But letting him keep it? It had been a spur of the moment decision and although he made those all the time, a lot of them didn’t work out.

Tony was worried this might be one of those times.

He was a good kid, he could tell from the little they’d interacted, and his heart was in the right place. But experience. The kid lacked experience.

He wondered why he cared so much. Yeah, he didn’t want the kid to get hurt, but in order to get experience, Peter had to get his hands dirty, right?

Every time he tried to tell himself that, he knew he would never allow the kid to have that much responsibility. Despite the promise that he’d call him if there was another mission, Tony knew he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t let the kid get hurt.

He didn’t know _why_ he cared.

He just knew that he did.


End file.
